


Instantaneous Connection

by nephilimswitchlight



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Fluff, M/M, Stuck on a train
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 00:23:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17735477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nephilimswitchlight/pseuds/nephilimswitchlight
Summary: Being stuck on a non moving train is torture to a speedster, that is until said speedster meets an intriguing, incredibly handsome man that immediately distracts him from the painful boredom.





	Instantaneous Connection

**Author's Note:**

> I spent a couple days on a train that did in fact get stalled for about six hours, and thus this story was born. Unfortunately, I didn't get any handsome strangers out of the deal. Hope you enjoy!

                Barry hated when anything went slow. Glacial speeds drove him mad and at that moment he was very tempted to forget about his bet with Cisco and speed the hell off of this train. It was only the prospect of owing him a year’s worth of licorice that stalled his movements.

                Of course, it was the week that Cisco had bet him he couldn’t go seven days without using his powers for non-Flash things that Felicity and Oliver had insisted he come to a party of theirs. In Star City. He was almost certain that Cisco had put them up to it.

                Though Cisco couldn’t be responsible for his current predicament, even his best friend was above sabotaging a train for candy. That didn’t change the fact that here Barry was, stuck on a stalled train, hours from Central and feeling like he was losing his mind.

                He let out a frustrated whine, and the only other person in the cart chuckled in response. Barry turned to face them and his eyes widened at the sight of the handsome man leaning against the window in the aisle beside his, only one row back. He was seated nonchalantly with the ankle of one leg rested on the knee of the other. He was dressed casually in black skinny jeans and a deep blue hoodie that brought out the ice of his eyes that were no longer focused on the book which he held between two long fingered hands, but were instead staring at Barry in pure amusement.

                “Not a fan of patience?” he asked in a drawling voice, to which Barry groaned.

                “Not a fan of being stuck in the middle of Kansas bored out of my mind on a completely stalled train.” Barry replied.

                The man shrugged. “Read a book.”

                “Finished it.” He replied petulantly. Not only had he finished it, he’d read it seven times. In the last ten minutes.

                “I’d offer you mine, but not sure you would enjoy it.” He remarked, flipping the pages shut and showing him the engineering title on the cover.

                “You an engineer?” Barry asked eagerly, always happy to meet another scientist.

                “Structural, yeah. Are you?”

                He shook his head. “No, I’m a forensic chemist. I work as an analyst at the CCPD.”

                “Fun.” He grinned and stood, moving around to gesture to the spot beside Barry. “May I?”

                Barry smiled enthusiastically and nodded. “Absolutely. Your presence would be a million times better than signing old show choir songs in my head.”

                He chuckled as he sat and offered his hand. “Len Snart.”

                “Barry Allen.” They shook and then he asked, “So Len, what brought you to Star City?”

                “Was there for a job actually, the new project of Queen Consolidated.”

                “No way!” he exclaimed with a grin. “Their new building? That’s crazy I was just there for the opening party.”

                “What brings a forensic to an opening party all the way in Star?”

                “Well, it was a science branch and I am always interested in everything science, but really it was Felicity insisting.”

                Len raised an eyebrow. “Felicity Smoak? Oliver Queen’s wife?”

                “Yeah.” Barry shrugged. “They’re good friends of mine and I couldn’t say no, even if parties so aren’t my scene.”

                “So, parties and trains are both out. What is your scene?”

                He gave a small self-deprecating laugh. “Uh, my couch with mystery documentaries playing and an outrageous amount of popcorn. That or my labs.”

                “Labs as in plural?”

                Barry nodded. “Yeah, my work and well, Star Labs too.”

                Len’s expression showed shock for a moment before he quickly hid it. “Oh, so you’re _that_ Barry Allen.”

                He blushed and nodded, used to the wide varied amount of reactions when people realized that he was the son of Henry Allen, newly acquitted suspected murderer, as well as being the benefactor of the man who had truly committed the murder of his mom. Most of the time it was some level of either fear or disbelief, so the smile on Len’s face both surprised and delighted him.

                “I was really glad to hear about your dad. Doc Allen is a good man, he didn’t deserve fourteen years in prison.”

                Barry’s eyes grew wide and he gapped at the older man. “You know my dad?”

                Len nodded. “Sure do. Met him when I spent a year behind bars. He helped me get my life on straight, owe him a lot.”

                His expression must have been truly entertaining because Len laughed.  “What has you so shocked?”

                “You know my dad, and believe entirely that he didn’t kill mom?”

                “Of course. He doesn’t kill spiders Barry. Henry Allen is far from a monster. Trust me, I know monsters. Your dad is a good man. I’m happy for the both of you.”

                Barry beamed at him. “Thank you so much. Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, what were you in prison for?”

                Len smirked. “Stealing.”

                “Wait like, actual theft, not embezzling or anything like that?”

                “Honest to god breaking and entering, at a museum no less.”

                “Really! You seem far too sophisticated for that.”

                Len chuckled. “Really. Like I said, Henry helped me get on a course I wanted my life to take, not the one my own father made me think I had to take. Before I went to college to become the truly spectacular engineer I am, I was an even more spectacular thief.”

                “That’s crazy, that my dad had such an impact on you. Small world.”

                “It is.” Len gave him a genuine smile. “Was Henry why you became a forensic?”

                Barry nodded. “Yeah, when I was a kid, I wanted to just break dad out. He was innocent and I saw no reason for him to suffer for something he never would have done. I even made detailed plans and everything.” He gave a little laugh. “Dad told me to not even think about it though. He never would have come with me, so I set out to prove it legally.”

                “So, you have a bit of mischief under that choir boy exterior.” Len remarked with a grin. “Its always good to know that there’s more to someone than meets the eye.”

                Barry laughed. “Like former felonies, both acted on and imagined?”

                “Exactly.”

                They grinned at each other for a moment before Barry had to look away from the intensity of his eyes before his face turned into a tomato. His gaze moved to the other man’s book instead and he touched it with a gentle finger. “What made you choose engineering instead of theft as a career?”

                “I’ve always been curious how things are built, how they work and function and create one whole device. I ended up choosing the structural side of it because of being a thief.”

                “What do you mean?” Barry asked as he twisted in his chair to face him full on, genuinely curious.

                “I used to have to figure out how a building was designed, how its structure functioned purely for survival. Knowing and not knowing could have been the difference between life and death, and it almost was. The reason I ended up in prison was because I didn’t know the building like I thought I had and was caught.

                “I didn’t want to have to rely on theft anymore, didn’t want to fear for my safety of freedom but I could also never have boring desk job. So, I decided to focus on something I already enjoyed, figuring out the design of a structure and how to eliminate weaknesses.”

                “Wow. I definitely get working in a passion, science has always been mine.” Barry said, expression rapt as he listened to the other man talk in his smooth drawling voice. “What about employment? Was it hard to get a job with a record?”

                At Len’s surprised look he blushed and ducked his head. “Sorry, that was invasive wasn’t it?”

                “Don’t apologize.” His tone was gentle without any trace of anger or annoyance. “I was just surprised you actually wanted to know.”

                “Of course I do! You’re intriguing, you respect my dad and well,” the blush was back full force at the questioning look Len gave him. “Well, your voice is very nice to listen to is all.”

                Len chuckled and gave him an appreciative grin. “Then I’d be happy to talk for you. Yes, getting employment was hard. That’s why my sister, best friend and I started our own firm.”

                He reached his hand into the neck of his sweater to what must have been a breast pocket and came away with a business card.

                “Phoenix Buildings and Security. I’ve heard of you guys!” Barry exclaimed after having read the card that was handed over to him. “I’ve actually contemplated having you look at Star Labs security, far too many people just waltz in.”

                “And I’d love to _personally_ look at your security, unfortunately my best friend Mick handles that. He’s security, my sister Lisa is an architect and I’m the engineer.”

                “All three of you then. I’ve been wanting to bring the labs back to life, do some good for the city after everything Wells did. Get things fixed up and actually secured, you know?”

                “Oh, I do, and trust me, I will _love_ if you give us a call.” The way he purred love caused Barry to flush again and Len to grin.

                “You’re so fun to get all flustered.”

                “I was being serious, thanks!” he remarked exasperatedly and Len laughed.

                “So was I.”

                Barry couldn’t help but to return the flirty grin and shift minutely closer, head resting against the headrest of his chair in order to gaze towards Len. “So, since we got the heavy stuff out of the way first, lets move on to the little details.”

                “Little details?” Len asked with an amused look as he mirrored Barry’s posture.

                “Yeah, the fun stuff that makes Leonard Snart.”

                “Ah, so not just the former thief current structural engineer.”

                “The core things Len. Like your favorite color.”

                He grinned. “The truly important information.”

                “You wouldn’t be you without it my friend.”

                They fell into easy conversation, both purely intent on the other. Every word that came out of Len’s mouth was entrancing and Barry didn’t think he had ever had more fun communicating with someone before. Especially someone that he had just met.

                They were so intent on each other that neither noticed the train start moving again until the conductor suddenly announced that they were approaching Central City.

                “Wait, already?” Barry gasped, his expression shocked as he looked away from Len to glance out the window in disbelief.

                Len laughed. “Thought you were against being stuck on the train.”

                “Well, yeah, when I was bored. I’m no longer bored.”

                He grinned slyly back. “Yeah, me either.”

                Barry couldn’t help but to be disappointed. He really didn’t want to leave this engaging man’s side. Never before had he been so drawn to someone in his entire life and the fact that they would be soon going their separate ways was almost devastating.

                “I’m glad you came over to talk to me.” He said instead of imploring him to come home with him like he actually wanted to.

                “I’m glad too.” Len admitted without hesitation, his voice soft. “You’re very easy to talk to Barry.”

                “So are you.”

                The train came to a stop then, and Barry was sure that the spell like mood over them would evaporate as they stood, but it only intensified as Len caught his hand.

                “I hope to see you again sometime soon.” He told him softly eye’s fixed on Barry’s, hand still holding onto his lightly.

                He swallowed thickly and nodded. “I would really, really like that.”

                Len just smiled and pulled his hand away slowly, slow enough that Barry didn’t even have to tap into the speedforce to savor the touch. As soon as their fingers separated though, he was walking away and Barry was left with a sinking feeling in his gut.

                On the whole drive in the stupid cab to his apartment he fingered the business card questioningly. Was it wrong to call a business number to request a date? Was that even what Len had meant? Maybe he just wanted a new business client?

                Barry continued to question it all the way until he got his wallet out to pay the cabbie, when a piece of folded up notebook paper stuck in beside his cash caught his attention. He pulled it out before even entering his apartment building and broke into a delighted grin as he read.

                Barry,

Wasn’t sure you believed my former thief status, had to show you I was more than capable. Plus, now I have your address and you have my number. Call and invite me over some time. ;)

                Len

                Beneath the signature was a phone number and Barry didn’t hesitate for even a moment to pull his phone out and send a text.

 

Hey, its Barry. I’d love to invite you over now, as long as

you think it’s the right time. I have to prove my own foray

into the felonious world after all.

5:30 PM

 

Len:

Looking forward to it Barry. See you soon.

5:30 PM

 

                The instant response made him grin wider than he had in a very long time. He really needed to thank Cisco for this silly bet, meeting Len was absolutely worth not using his speed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Would love to hear from you!


End file.
